Chasing A Storm
by kazorashi
Summary: She has known the rain her entire life and fell in love. But even the rain makes room for a storm. "Did you just call Haru a stupid woman?" "What, did you miss the first five times too?" On hiatus.
1. Candy Time

**Chasing A Storm**

 _Candy Time_

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 _Summary:_ She has known the rain her entire life and fell in love. But even the rain makes room for a storm. "Did you just call Haru stupid!?" "What, did you miss the first five times too?"

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman! Reborn, if I did... 5986598659865986.**

Warnings: AU (slightly? Not sure yet), OOC, some OC's (not largely), hardly any Tsunayoshi.

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 _(A/N: You know ratings go up because of Gokudera. He doesn't even need two legs. Just his language enough is what makes this story rating go up, haha! Also, I don't know where I'm going with this. Enjoy!)_

* * *

It had always been Haru, Takeshi, and Chrome.

Ever since they were little and in diapers, the three of them have been friends and neighbors. Haru was the leader, the small powerhouse that she was. Always leading the other two. Bossy and a little overbearing, Haru was always fair to the other two.

And they loved her for it.

Takeshi would always follow Haru no matter where she went, always encouraging her with her ideas and passions. Chrome following second, a very shy girl with discolored eyes. She loved her two friends. Open and outgoing. Easy to read and wearing their hearts on their sleeve. She loved those two person's. And the three of them, if they had any say, they would like to stay together forever. Just the way they were.

But things can never really stay the way they are. Haru is the first to notice it. And as always, the two follow after her.

* * *

 _Today is the day!_ Haru tells herself as she waits at the entrance of the mall for the other two. Takeshi and Chrome always came later than her, so she was used to it. Today, Haru had made sure she was dolled up more than usual. She was dressed in short white jeans and a pretty green top with open shoulders. Her dark hair was let down and bangs were pinned to the side by a flower clip.

Haru had attempted make up but only managed some mascara and lip gloss. She didn't bother with blush, seeing as how the rosy pink tint in her cheeks wouldn't go away. Her nails were painted white and to top it off, Haru had worn strappy white heels which tied up by her ankles.

Which she wasn't too sure about the moment since her feet started hurting. _I don't think I'll ever get used to it._ She thought gloomily and stared at her toes. The heel of her foot began to feel numb from all the waiting she was doing. A worried look crossed her face. _Were these shoes... A good idea? They seemed like a good idea when I got them._ She had gotten them because Takeshi was insanely tall and she wanted to at least reach his shoulder when she planned to...

A blush crossed her face at the thought. _Get a grip Haru!_ She scolded herself and shook her head. _Don't lose focus! Don't hesitate!_ "That's right." She encouraged herself. "Today is that day that I—"

"Hey Haru!" A deep voice happily greeted from afar. It was loud but welcoming and Haru felt her heartbeat increase rapidly. She quickly sucked in a deep breath and flattened out her hair. Once done, she turned a grinned.

"Yamamoto-san!" Haru cheered as she gushed at the sight of him. Takeshi was dressed in a green jacket and light jeans. With a grin on his face, he waved happily to Haru. The dark haired girl was ready to run to hug him but one step in her shoes told her that was a bad idea.

Slightly cursing herself, she waited for him to walk over to her. Just the sight of Takeshi set Haru's blood ablaze with a pleasant feeling. Next to him was Chrome in a pretty white dress. Chrome, who saw Haru a second after Takeshi, waved at her with a shine to her face. Leaving Takeshi to catch up, Chrome ran to Haru and hugged her.

"Chrome-chan!" Squealed Haru who wrapped her arms around her friends waist. Even smaller than Haru, Chrome came up to Haru's chin thanks to the heels. The quiet girl with mismatched eyes looked over Haru's outfit and gave her a secret thumbs up.

"Looking good, Haru-chan!" Chrome leaned into Haru's ears. "Good luck with your confession!" She whispered softly. Blushing, Haru thanked the younger girl.

"Haru thinks she'll need it." She admitted, a little bashful. Chrome giggled at Haru's unusual shyness.

"You'll do fine!" She assured with a light tap to her arm.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Takeshi asked as he arrived. His grin was present until he saw Haru. Said girl stiffened a bit as she watched his smile grow small. "Eh? Haru, you look so different!" He exclaimed. The way he said it made Haru falter in her ambitions today. His tone showed neither disapproval or acceptance. It was almost indifferent.

She gave him a pensive smile. "Is that a bad thing, Yamamoto-san?" Teased Haru, trying to lift the mood. Chrome frowned at Takeshi's lack of emotion but still hoped for the best. Takeshi shook his head and smiled again.

"I guess not, you're still Haru!" He stated. Smiling at this, Haru nodded her head. "So where are we going?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Haru's brown orbs sparkled with delight.

"The cake shop!" She shouted. Grabbing Takeshi's wrist, Haru pulled him along and began chatting about all the different kinds of cakes there was to buy. Chrome followed behind the two, keeping more distance than usual. She smiled at the sight of Takeshi and Haru together.

They were really so adorable. She had been ecstatic when Haru confessed to her that she liked their tall, lean and happy-go-lucky friend. They have been good together for so long. Chrome was willing to help Haru in any way to provide her support. When she locked eyes with said friend ahead, Chrome nodded her head.

"Ah, umm... You two go ahead!" Chrome encouraged. Takeshi turned around and gave Chrome a look filled honest confusion. She smiled at him. "I'll catch up with you guys soon, there's this place I want to go to first."

"Why don't we just go together then?" He asked, taking his wrist from Haru's grasp. Both girls noticed but said nothing about it, even though Haru felt a little saddened by it. Chrome blanked for a moment.

She was never a good liar.

"Uhh, it's really no problem. I can go by myself. I'll be quick!" Trying to get away to give Haru the time she needed alone with Takeshi for a moment, Chrome began to depart.

Sending Chrome a silent thanks, Haru looked at Takeshi with bright, hopeful eyes. "Yamamoto-san, let's go!" She tried to grasp his wrist again but Takeshi pulled away. Haru wasn't sure if it was a rejection of her herself of if he didn't notice. It hurt her all the same. Slowly, she brought her hands to her side and watched as Takeshi's dark eyes followed Chrome.

"We should follow her." He told Haru and began to follow Chrome. Surprised a bit, Haru frowned.

"She did say she would be back, maybe we can order cake when she returns?" Asked the brunette, desperately wanting to have Takeshi to herself. If even just for a moment.

He turned down to look at Haru and frowned. "But Chrome-chan is small and shy. We should be there in case anyone tries to do something, right? She is our friend." As if it was the most simple choice in the world, Takeshi quickly took after Chrome's direction.

Haru stood there, feeling a bit dejected. Shaking her head, she did her best to catch up to the tall boy. "Y-Yamamoto-san! Wait up!" She hurried along quickly, fighting the slight pain on her foot. Haru ignored the way her instincts told her it was a bad idea to follow along. She ignored how every fiber in her being was telling her to wait and hold back.

But how could she listen to all of that if her heart was telling her to go to him?

 _I love you._ It cried out.

Haru had always followed her heart. She wouldn't be herself if she didn't. That was something Chrome and Takeshi noticed about her growing up. The oldest of the three always followed where her heart went.

Always would.

* * *

"Wow, look at this!" Takeshi cheered as he handed Chrome a cute pineapple plush doll. The younger girl awkwardly received it with a tiny smile as she thanked him. "It's cute, matches your hair, huh?" He easily teased. At this, Chrome huffed and folded her arms. "Maa, maa, calm down Chrome-chan! I'm kidding." He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

As the two conversed, Haru looked at them tiredly. Maybe it was just her, but Takeshi seemed very attentive to Chrome the past two hours. He beckoned to every untold want and need Chrome had. It was normal for this to happen. Haru knew Takeshi treated Chrome like a girl.

She clenched her fists as a painful feeling encroached her heart. _Ever since I've noticed I loved him, he just seems so..._ Haru didn't want to say distant, because Takeshi had still treated her the same. Just now that she decided to confess, she noticed the difference he treated them. He agreed with everything she said and done and was always supportive, the same he did with Chrome.

Only now she saw he was a bit more protective and aware of Chrome's feelings. He hovered closer to her than Haru would have liked. And she didn't hate Chrome. Haru knew Chrome was still trying to pry herself away so she could confess but everywhere Chrome went, Takeshi followed.

It was like he didn't want to leave her alone.

Blowing a strand of hair away, Haru folded her arms and leaned against a pinball arcade game. Takeshi offered to buy the girls drinks and walked away from them. Immediately, Chrome turned to Haru. "I am so sorry." Chrome apologized in a squeaky voice. "Do you want me to run away now?"

 _Yes._ Haru heard herself say. Shaking the thought away, Haru looked at Chrome whose face paled at the sight of her tired and slightly pained eyes. "It's okay, Haru thinks she needs you more now and than ever." Chrome tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Haru gave a sarcastic laugh. "She means, once he rejects Haru, Haru is pretty sure she'll need your shoulder to cry on." Chrome gasped and placed the pineapple plush toy onto a random counter.

"Please don't think that way." Chrome pleaded and grabbed Haru's hand. "Don't lost faith Haru. I'm sure... Sure Takeshi-kun will accept. He loves you, I can see it." The small girl urged. Touched, Haru felt her heart swell again with the support. She leaned in so their foreheads could touch.

"Haru is so grateful to have you." She whispered, tears nearly brimming her eyes. Chrome giggled and pulled away.

"I'm grateful to have _you_." She whispered back. There was a light tap on Chrome's shoulder and both girls looked to see Takeshi with drinks in hand.

"Hey." He grinned and presented them with their respective drinks. "Am I interrupting a moment?"

"No—" Chrome began to say but was quickly ignored.

"Yes, you are." Answered Haru as she took a sip of her drink. She raised a brow as she looked at it. "Eh? This isn't strawberry." She noted and looked at Chrome's drink. She pursed her lips as she saw Chrome's drink was her favorite.

Pineapple.

Takeshi looked at Haru a bit bashful. "Sorry, it's watermelon." He apologized. "They ran out of your favorite. Tried getting the next best thing, watermelon." Haru smiled at this, realizing it wasn't his fault.

"No, it's fine. Thank you." Haru happily sipped at her drink. The watermelon flavor went down her throat easily and she was surprised to find that it was particularly sweeter than strawberry. _Hmm, I might have a new favorite flavor!_ Giggling, Haru watched Takeshi from the side of her eyes.

Despite him being more attentive to Chrome today, she felt her heart still flutter at the sight of him and nearly melted at his smile. When he caught her staring, his grin widened before winking. Desperately fighting a blush, Haru stuck her tongue out. Takeshi chuckled her way which made Haru feel warm inside.

 _To like this idiot this much._ She thought happily. Suddenly, passed Takeshi stood a very pink machine filled with emoticon plush toys. Haru's eyes lit up, almost as if she saw cake. Chrome noticed and tilted her head, confused. "Oh my gosh, Haru will be back!" Haru cheered and ran past her two friends.

Arriving at the toy claw machine, Haru grabbed her wallet and placed in a quarter. _These are the cutest things I have ever seen!_ She inwardly squealed with childish glee. Sticking her tongue out in focus, Haru made aim for the emoticon with the pursed lips and heart eyes.

When Haru believed she placed the claw in the perfect position, she pressed the button for the claw to go down. She watched in anticipation as the claw slowly went down, it's arms grabbing the toy. Haru nearly squealed and most of the toy was lifted off the rest.

Only to have it fall back down to rejoin the rest of the plush toys. Haru frowned as the claw came back to the starting point and presented her with nothing. Determined, she grabbed for her purse again. _Next time is the charm!_ She told herself with high enthusiasm. _I'll definitely get it this time. Two times the charm, they say._

:::::::

Nearly broke, Haru was almost in near tears as she whined and hit her forehead against the machine. "You have **got** to be kidding!" She growled in frustration. Before Haru knew it, she didn't even have enough money to buy a slice of cake. _Today is just the worst!_ Groaning with defeat, Haru looked to the money she had left. On the bright side, she had enough to buy some candy.

"Candy sounds good right now." Haru talked to herself and stepped away from the deceivingly nice looking toy claw machine. She glared at it, as if it was a person ready to fight her. "Haru hates you." She whispered to it.

"Stupid woman, why are you talking to a machine?" A deep voice asked from beside her. Gasping, Haru turned and saw a gorgeous boy beside her. He was taller than Haru and had on a scary red shirt with skulls, white sweater and torn up jeans. He has an unusual shade of silver hair reaching the base of his neck and piercing emerald eyes. His ears were also pierced in several places.

 _A delinquent._ Was her first thought as she stepped back. The boy before her scowled at her, his pretty green eyes narrowing in the process. Haru scowled back. "What do you want?" She asked with disdain. The boy snorted before looking at the machine.

"Couldn't help but notice you probably spending your money away. You're never going to get a toy out of this damn thing." He pointed to the toy claw. Haru couldn't help but agree a bit before pushing that thought aside.

"And how do you know?" She asked while crossing her arms and tapping her foot. She soon stopped as she finally noticed the painful ache she felt earlier today.

"Some toy claw machines are built so you never get a toy." He lectured and pushed Haru aside. She gave a faint _"Hey! Watch it!"_ before glaring. The boy ignored her and placed himself before the toy challenge. A grin crossed over his face. "Unless, you cheat of course." Haru perked at this.

"Cheat?" She asked and leaned in close to the boy. "Can you get Haru one?" She asked him, suddenly hopeful. The boy frowned at her.

"Why the hell would I want to get you something, stupid woman?" He deadpanned.

Haru felt the shock, anger, and embarrassment all rolled into one. "E-Excuse me!?" She said in a raised voice, anger clearly winning out. "Did you just call Haru a stupid woman!?"

"Did you just call Haru a stupid woman!?" He mocked. "What, did you miss the first five times too?" Outraged, Haru began to walk away. She didn't need to deal with this boy.

 _Speaking of boys, where is Yamamoto-san?_ Haru faintly wondered before looking around the arcade. Her eyes widened as she saw Takeshi together with Chrome. Chrome was in the middle of another toy claw machine and was doing her best to grab one. Haru felt her heart squeeze painfully at the sight of Chrome failing. Takeshi laughed out loud before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to his chest to ruffle the top of her head.

 _ **Crack.**_

That was the sound Haru heard as she felt her heart being torn in two. Takeshi looked so free and open with Chrome. And the way he held her... The look in his eyes...

 _I know that look._ Haru said to herself as she saw the tender, gentle look he was giving Chrome. Haru bit her lower lip. _Perhaps he has liked Chrome-chan this whole time and I've never noticed?_ She thought sadly. Haru felt her determination to tell Takeshi how she felt dwindle down as she took in a deep breath, trying to stop the hurt from her heart. _This doesn't hurt. It doesn't mean anything._ She told herself.

A hand grabbed hers and Haru turned to see the rude boy had followed her as she walked away. He pointed behind him using his thumb. "You look like you're about to cry. I don't care if you do to be honest, but I'll get you that damn toy if..." He stopped himself before forcefully dragging Haru back to the toy machine.

"H-Hey!" She began to protest. Ignoring her feeble remarks, the boy continued to drag Haru. Soon enough, he had her stand right next to him and placed a quarter into the machine. Fast and quickly, he stuck his tongue out in focus and had the claw placed over the plush toy Haru had been trying to get. Carelessly, he pressed the button and it went down to grab the toy just like it did on Haru's first try.

Just as it was about to grab onto the emoticon toy, the boy kicked the machine hard enough for it to shake. This surprised Haru and it made her jump a little. "Why did yo—?" The boy hushed her before she could finish.

Haru stuck her tongue out and turned to look. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the toy was in the claw's grasp. It went back to the starting point and let down the emoticon plush toy. "Oh my..." She began to say, amazed. The boy looked at Haru with a smug look before grabbing the toy and pushed it into her arms.

"How's that stupid woman?" He laughed as Haru rolled her eyes but thanked him, sheepish as she did so. The two stood before each other, an awkward silence cutting through. Now that Haru had gotten what she wanted, the boy could leave. Only...

He wasn't leaving.

 _I'm not leaving either._ Scolded Haru to herself. Before things could grow more intensely awkward, Haru saw a cup filled with pink inside. "Oh?" She noticed. "Is that watermelon too?" She asked.

"I'm not going to buy you a damn drink if that's what you want next." The boy replied. Haru barred her teeth at him.

"No one asked you too!" She spat. The boy rolled his eyes before grabbing what Haru knew now as his drink.

"No, it's not watermelon. It's strawberry." He answered with another roll of his eyes. At the mention of her favorite flavor, Haru pressed the plush toy closer to her chest and rocked on her feet. Her eyes sparkled.

"Did the arcade refill on strawberry already?" She asked. The boy gave Haru a look filled with suspicion and curiosity.

"What do you mean, refill? This place always has strawberry in stock." He told her and sipped at his drink. Now it was Haru's turn to be confused.

"Huh? But Haru's friend said..." The brunette grew wary all of a sudden. Again, her instincts told her to walk away but Haru wanted to know. "Haru thought they ran out?"

"They didn't run out." The boy said confidently. "I should know, I work here. Took my break to save your sorry ass from spending any more money on this rip-off of a machine." The boy continued to sip his drink.

Haru's nails suddenly dug into the soft toy in her arms and she looked at the boy. Indeed, he did work here. She saw what looked to be a name tag hidden beneath his sweater. _Then if that's so, then why...?_ Haru looked at the garbage can where she had thrown her drink away earlier. _He lied to me?_ She wondered. The watermelon taste in her mouth was making Haru grow sick. Quickly, she spun around to search for Takeshi and Chrome.

Once finding them again, Haru felt the tears swell in her eyes. Takeshi handed Chrome another toy. A cute bear with a heart in its hands. Envy crawled into her heart. She couldn't look away. The more she looked, the more Haru saw how Takeshi treated Chrome differently.

Yes, he touched Haru. But with Chrome, his touch seemed more gentle. Yes, he talked with Haru and laughed with Haru. But with Chrome, he seemed more sincere and attentive. Yes, he looked at Haru. But with Chrome, it seemed more open and honest. Haru saw that look again in Takeshi's eyes.

 _And not once did he even go over to you._ Haru thought to herself in an almost spiteful way. Nails dug even deeper into the plush toy. _Does he even notice the way he treats Chrome?_ She sadly thought.

"—upid woman! Stop crying!" A distant voice brought Haru to attention. Turning again to look at the boy, she noticed how uncomfortable he looked standing next to her. "You okay?" He questioned gruffly and pointed to her cheeks. Bringing her hands to her face, Haru could feel the warm wetness of what she knew to be tears.

Smiling lightly to him, she didn't answer and ran out of the arcade. Speechless, the boy continued to stare after her. Before she turned a corner, he saw a peek of red forming around the girl's ankle. He raised a curious brow before shaking his head.

"Not my problem." He spoke to no one and looked at his watch. He flinched at the time. "Err..." Looking over his shoulder, one of his co-workers quickly ushered him over. Motioning with his hands that the manager hadn't returned yet.

"Hurry, Hayato-kun!" The brunet mouthed to him.

Hayato grinned and nodded his head. As he was about to walk over, something yellow on the floor caught his eyes. There, on the ground, was the wretched kissing emoticon plush toy. Hayato felt a vein forming on his forehead.

 _That stupid woman!_

* * *

Before Haru knew it, she was in the candy shop and debating which candy to get. She didn't have much to pick from thanks to the amount of money she had left over, but a chocolate bar was looking better than usual. Unfortunately, Haru wasn't too keen about buying from the cashier.

He was an old aged, grumpy man. Chunky with hair falling out and bad teeth, Haru didn't like him. And he didn't like Haru either. Ever since an encounter she had with him long ago as a kid by accident taking a candy she thought was free (how was she to know "buy one, get one free" was a thing? All she read was the "free" part), Haru had felt that he had been out to get her into unnecessary trouble. Haru wished it was the other cashier she usually bought from.

The old man wasn't about to stop her from buying candy though. Granted, she was a little nervous because Takeshi and Chrome were always with her when she went near this particular shop. They made her feel safe and it was one of the very few places Takeshi would hover over Haru protectively. He had gotten into a scuffle with the man back when they were in middle school.

Sighing to herself, Haru grabbed the cheapest chocolate bar she could find and marched up to the register. "Just this please." She said scathingly. The man glared at her before ringing up the price.

"$3.00." He said in a low voice. Haru blinked disbelievingly at him.

"For one lousy chocolate bar? Haru doesn't think so!" She argued.

"Plus tax." His report was short and simple. Growling, Haru felt her brow twitch in irritation. She began to argue with the man, unaware that a small group of younger, pre-teen boys took note of her interaction with the cashier. There was three of them, all dressed in uniform in a very messy fashion. One of them tapped the other two and he motioned at Haru.

They grinned before starting to take a few candies and place them in their pockets.

"You know what? Fine! Haru doesn't care about the price anymore. Take the darn money!" Reaching for the last bit of cash she had, Haru paid the man who she knew just ripped her off. She slammed the money onto the counter and took the chocolate bar. _The nerve of him!_ Taking a bite of the chocolate, Haru felt all her anger melt away and her taste buds reveled in the chocolate.

Despite having a pretty bad day and knowing she was going to cry to herself later, Haru appreciated the chocolate bar. As she was about to exit, someone bumped into Haru. "Ow!" She whispered. Three younger boys looked at her and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Sorry." One of them apologized and seemed sincere about it. She didn't notice the evil glint in the other two's eyes.

"It's fine." She answered flatly, not bothering to scold him for it. She really couldn't find it in herself to care right now. The four of them exit the shop and the alarm started blaring. Surprised, Haru jumped and stood around, dumbfounded. _What in the world?_

"Thief!" A cry shouted from inside the store. Haru turned to see the grumpy man running up to her and he harshly grabbed her wrist. "Thief!" He accused her. Offended, Haru began to struggle in his grip.

"Let Haru go! Haru didn't steal your candy! She gave you all her money!" She cried. The grip on her wrist tightened and she could feel the fear quickly overtake her. The man really had no intention of letting her go. His other hand shot to her shorts and took something from her. Haru's eyes widened. _I-Is that... Candy!? Where did it come from?_

She remembered the three boys and Haru looked around her. Much to her dismay, the boys were long gone. _They must have done this. But over some candy!?_ Pleading with her eyes, Haru looked as the cashier began to drag her into the store. She struggle some more. "Please, please stop!" She cried as he reached for a phone. "Haru didn't take your candy, please believe her!"

Tears pooled in her eyes and she didn't try to hide them. She honestly couldn't believe the kind of day she was having. "Please..." She whispered, struggling some more. Desperate, she began to reason with the man. "There were three other boys earlier! It was them! Haru would never steal!"

At the word, a sharp glare was given to her. Haru flinched. The seventeen year old couldn't believe it. She was about to enter her last year of high school. All she wanted was to confess, get rejected, eat some chocolate and call it a day. Now she was surely going to go to jail over some candy.

Candy.

"I-I..." Haru broke out, desperately sad. _Chrome-chan! Yamamoto-san! Help me!_ She prayed with everything she had in this moment. Her eyes closed shut, unable to look at her fate. The cashier had begun dialing a number and Haru prayed even harder. _TAKESHI!_

 ** _SLAM!_**

A loud slam of the telephone being hung up was heard. Breathing heavily, Haru opened her eyes and looked up to see silver hair and angry emerald eyes. It was the rude boy from earlier, giving a fierce glare at the chubby candy cashier. In his other hand was the hood of a boy. Haru recognized him as being the who bumped into her and getting her into this mess.

 _No way._ She thought despite the hope that surged through her.

Hayato glowered at the candy cashier. "This kid will tell you all about the candy he stole from you just now." He seethed. The boy began to protest but one look from Hayato silenced him. "If you lie to me or this fatass," Hayato pointed to the man, "boy, I will know and _I will kill you._ " There was promise in his voice and the boy nodded fearfully. That done and said, he threw the boy to the cashier and grabbed Haru, dragging her out of the store.

Right outside, he turned to Haru and tossed her the plush toy from the arcade. "Oh, thank you." She said and bowed a little. A snort was heard and she got up to glare at him. "You're very rude." She stated.

"Is that any way to talk to the man that saved you?" Was his smart reply. "You're lucky I saw them and managed to grab one of them." Haru blushed but sighed nonetheless. Smirking, Hayato looked down at her feet. "How is your ankle?" He questioned, curious and leaned down to check her foot. The blush on Haru's face deepened to a bright crimson.

"E-Eh!?" She gasped. It wasn't until she felt a sharp pain from her foot that she realized, yes, her feet really did hurt. Looking down, she watched as Hayato inspected her foot. Haru bit her lower lip at the red marks she was seeing. "They hurt a bit." Haru lied.

Looking up, Hayato flicked his fingers against the sensitive part where the heels rubbed against her skin and Haru hissed in pain. "Stupid woman, looks like it's more than a bit if you ask me." Shaking his head, Hayato turned and lowered himself in front of her, offering her his back.

Haru gave him a blank look. "What are you doing?" She asked, despite know exactly what he was doing.

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" He rolled his eyes. Before Haru could say anything back to him, Hayato continued. "I'm offering to take you home."

"It's okay. Haru has someone else t—" Haru stopped herself as an image of Takeshi next to Chrome showed in her mind. He was happily chatting and laughing with her. And even though she really wanted to be with him, she felt just a little selfish for wanting to take him away from someone who made him so happy. A tiny smile crossed her lips. "It's a long walk." Haru said instead.

Hayato felt his left eye twitch. "Long walk or not, I just got fired from my job trying to give that ugly toy to you." Haru sweat dropped. She would feel guilty, if only he didn't sound like he had no care about losing a job. "I might as well go all the way helping you while I'm at it. Make it worth my time." The way he talked to her was crude but Haru strangely found herself appreciating it nonetheless.

"I-If you insist." She accepted his offer and nervously climbed onto his back. Haru noticed right away that even though he was an awful boy, the touch he had on her was secure but gentle. She smiled nervously and tightened her arms around his neck, having placed the plushie to separate her breasts from his back. If he noticed, he didn't say anything.

* * *

The boy burst into a fitful of deep laughter. "He was only going to call security, but you thought he was going to call the cops!?" He roared. Haru swatted the back of his head, embarrassed. That only caused him to laugh some more. "That's so rich. You're too damn dramatic." He shook his head.

"Haru was really scared mind you!" She cried and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Hayato rolled his eyes and shifted Haru around in a more comfortable position for him to carry her. Apparently, she wasn't lying when she said it was a long walk. What she claimed was an hour long walk had them walking for nearly three hours. The sun had even begun to set.

He claimed it was because she was fat and was slowing him down. Haru hit his head at that and insisted it was because he thought he knew where he was going when she was the one who knew where she lived. If one were to ask their most honest answer, it would probably be because they kept arguing.

Still, the girl couldn't help but to notice that not once did he offer for her to walk by herself. When she had tried to get off his back, he scolded her (rather rudely) and readjusted her on his back. Haru was touched by this awful boy's actions.

"Haru thought her life was over." She continued to whine.

"Over some candy?" Hayato shook his head. "That's stupid." He retorted. Haru agreed somewhat and was a little embarrassed about the way she acted. A small giggle escaped her lips.

"I suppose." She said halfheartedly. Hayato glanced back at her.

"So you can talk normally." He said. Haru hummed and looked at him. Seeing her curiosity, he continued. "Why do you speak in third person?" He asked her. Haru shrugged her shoulders.

"Old habits die hard." She answered. Hayato narrowed his eyes at this but didn't say anything about it. He felt like she was lying, or wasn't telling him the whole truth.

 _Not my problem._ He thought to himself. Haru's grip on his neck tightened and she pointed ahead.

"Haru lives there!" She cheered. Looking to where she was pointing at, Hayato took note that Haru was well off enough. She lived in a nice, modern home. All grays and whites, a bit of a contrast to her character he thought. As he walked on, Haru grew silent. It unnerved him a bit.

He didn't say anything though, as it seemed she was in deep thought. When he got to her door, he gently let her down. Haru crawled off and brought the plush toy close to her chest. "Thank you." She whispered quietly.

"Whatever." Was all he said before turning around. He was stopped once Haru grabbed the sleeve of his sweater. "What is it, stupid woman?"

Haru glared at what seemed to be his nickname for her but chose to ignore it. "Haru wants to thank you sincerely." She replied honestly and determined. Hayato took his sleeve back, though not roughly.

"It was nothing. I hated that job anyways." Haru smiled, clearly believing him. She didn't have any money on her and she knew her father was inside the house. Inviting Hayato over dinner wouldn't go over well. Haru was stumped. "Look, I don't need your thanks. If you really want to thank me, get that ankle treated so you won't have to break someone else's back. Stupid woman."

She whacked his arm hard. Hayato refused to show the pain she inflicted. He knew well enough there was going to be a bruise there tonight. "Haru is serious! You have seriously made her day better. There must be something Haru can do."

"Well, there isn't." He replied and began to turn away.

A spontaneous, crazy idea popped into her mind. It was stupid and Haru was completely against it but as she began to see more of Hayato's back, the more Haru felt she wanted to do it. Willingly at least.

Her heart wanted it.

Grasping his sleeve again, Haru turned him around. Before he could tell her off, Haru closed her eyes and quickly pressed her lips against his cheek.

Or what she hoped was his cheek.

For some reason, his cheek seemed softer than most cheeks. Hesitantly, Haru slowly opened her eyes and widened them the same as Hayato's. They stared into each other's eyes at a loss of what to do. Haru felt a scarlet blush coming through and her face heated up. The blood in her veins sang at the touch and before she knew it, Hayato closed his eyes and leaned into her some more.

He nervously placed his hands on Haru's shoulders to help ease her and he tilted his head, pressing a little harder. "Mmph!" She gasped and their teeth bumped into each others. They let go for a moment and Hayato couldn't help but like the sight of Haru trying to catch her breath. Her face had a red hue and she tasted faintly of watermelon. "U-Umm..." She began, her voice shaking. "J-Just wanted you to know, I meant to kiss you on the cheek!" She cried out, all nervous and anxious.

Hayato just stared at Haru. It was like she was the weirdest person he had ever met (wasn't far from the truth in his opinion). Unable to take the silence any longer, Haru pressed her lips against Hayato's again, shocking the both of them. _What am I doing!?_ She cried to herself, unable to stop herself from wanting to be just a tiny bit closer to Hayato. She leaned against him, nearly forgetting how to breath.

The boy was in the same boat as Haru. Not knowing what to do, he let Haru lean into him and he pressed harder against her mouth. One of his hands cupped her neck and the other touched the middle of her back.

The mere graze of his fingers sent Haru's body into a shock and she arched a bit into him. "Mmm..." She hummed and let go to breath. To her surprise, Hayato had her lean back into his lips and he continued from her there. Their lips just pressing against each others. It was a pleasant feeling for the both of them.

Simple and quaint, there was also a burning sensation coursing through their body. At the same time, Haru and Hayato opened their mouth and had their teeth bump again. This didn't deter Hayato as he shyly but gently placed his tongue inside Haru's hot cavern. Haru nearly melted on the spot and she felt his tongue on the root of her mouth. He gently pressed his tongue against her own, caressing it in an awkward fashion.

Haru couldn't help but find it cute. Taking this moment in, Hayato pressed her body closer to him until she was pressed fully against his chest. Tilting her head for better access, Haru let Hayato kiss her. She could still feel her blush but the feeling from kissing him was...

Intense. Hot. Awkward. Cute.

And unbelievably good.

They continued like that for a little while before Hayato and Haru let go. A trail of saliva connected the two of them as their foreheads pressed together. Haru didn't feel anything except good and she breathlessly looked towards Hayato. He stared at Haru with such a strong gaze, she felt her knees buckle. He was still holding her and only let go once he thought she wouldn't fall.

As soon as he did so, Haru pulled away first. The red on her face traveled as far down her neck and even seemed to go further down past her shirt. Hayato shook his head and cleared his throat. Collecting his thoughts faster than Haru could, he nodded towards her. "You're welcome Haru." Was all he said before quickly walking away and leaving Haru there at her door step.

She tried not to notice the way his voice had deepened once he said her name. Gingerly, Haru pressed her fingers against her lips. They were still hot and wet. After a moment of realization, she screamed. "WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" She cried out. _That was my first kiss! And what's worse!? He knows my name and I don't know his!_

Haru groaned and slip down to the floor.

She really _is_ a stupid girl.

* * *

It was the second day of her last school year and Haru found herself in a different class from Takeshi and Chrome. Who, as Lady Luck would have it, were in the same class. The brunette silently cursed her father and herself for being so smart. She sighed and leaned her head on her desk.

Ever since she kissed that nameless boy, Haru hadn't been able to look Takeshi in the eye. She couldn't even tell Chrome about it. She had wanted to but Haru felt it in herself to keep him a secret. Even if just for a little longer. During break the rest of her break, Haru had thought of the silver haired boy at least five times a day.

She was slightly disappointed that he wasn't at her school either. And no matter where she casually went with Takeshi and Chrome by her side, there wasn't a trace of him. _Who am I kidding?_ _He's probably super smart and is in one of the prestigious school's._ School's Haru could have went to if she only picked them.

Groaning, the third year patiently waited for the class to fill in. It did so quickly. Students filed in one by one. Soon enough the bell rang and the teacher before them grabbed for their attention. "Class!" The young woman started. The boys in class paid plenty attention to her seeing as how young she was and how gorgeous she is. Haru rolled her eyes at this. "Meet the new transfer student. Please, introduce yourself whenever your ready."

Haru could hear the smile in the teacher's voice. Sighing, Haru looked up and gasped. _You have got to be kidding me!_ She screamed on the inside. Before the class stood a boy with green eyes, silver hair at the base of his neck, and had on the dark the schools uniform of a white collared shirt, green blazer and back slacks. His hair was tied up into a low pony tail but he still wore his earring. Haru gulped once she saw his gaze settled on her and they flashed with recognition.

"Gokudera Hayato." Is all he said. It was silent after that and Hayato looked away from Haru. Looking to the teacher, he spoke in a tired voice. "That's all."

Speechless, she asked for him to sit anywhere available.

There were three empty seats in the classroom. One in the front, one in the far back by the window, and one coincidentally next to Haru in the last column, middle of the rows. She felt her heart thump loudly as Hayato strolled by her side. Nails digging into her chair, Haru gulped as he got closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, not knowing what to expect from him. She certainly didn't expect him to totally skip her and go to the seat in the back. The one furthest away from her.

Which is exactly what he did.

A little stunned, she opened her eyes and turned a bit to look at him. He completely ignored her and Haru bit her lower lip. Shaking her head, she turned back to the front of the classroom. Confused and just a bit hurt, Haru tried to shake off the feeling of rejection. She missed the way his eyes slowly went back to her as he settled in his seat.

He smirked. _Stupid girl._

* * *

 _(A/N: Chapter one is done! Yes! In reality, I wanted this to be a smutty fic but... *shrugs. So... I don't know where I'm going with this, but please review and tell me what you think. I have not published on this site in a long while so... My writing is very rusty. This could also stand as a one-shot. Not sure yet.)_


	2. Battle of the Minds

**Chasing a Storm**

 _Battle of the Minds_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman! Reborn. All rights do not go to me, haha.**

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 _Summary:_ She has known the rain her entire life and fell in love. But even the rain makes room for a storm. "Did you just call Haru stupid!?" "What, did you miss the first five times too?"

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 _(A/N: Chapter twosies. Haha! Twosies.)_

* * *

When lunch arrived, Haru wasted no time to leave her classroom and depart for Takeshi and Chrome's class. She was feeling a bit nervous but paid no mind to it. In her hands was a bento made for her and Takeshi. Chrome had given her the idea during the summer, which Haru thought was amazing. She was a pretty good cook.

 _A way to man's heart is through his stomach._ She told herself over and over. As Haru stands before the class door, she sucks in a deep breath and opens it widely. "Yamamoto-san! Chrome-chan!" She sang out loud, causing some students to look her way. The ones who were used to her laughed a bit.

"Miura-san," spoke one student with light brown hair and pig tails, "if you're looking for them, they went to the cafeteria." Haru frowned a bit at this. "Although, Chrome-san seemed pretty reluctant." She girl continued. This made her smile.

No doubt, Haru knew Chrome had tried waiting for her. "Thanks!" Bowling low, the brunette dashed to the cafeteria and opened its doors. She looked around and once she found who she was looking for, her smile grew.

There Chrome was sitting next to Takeshi who was happily talking with some people Haru has never seen before. His smile was pure and boyish, Haru couldn't help but feel the heat in her cheeks. Steadying her nerves, she marched confidently to them only to turn around and run back to the door. _What the heck!?_ Haru thought with silent distress.

Takeshi and Chrome were chatting happily with a head full of silver strands.

 _G-G-Gokudera-san?_ She thought, confused. It wasn't strange how Takeshi was chatting with him. Haru knew that he talked to everyone. What was strange was seeing Chrome follow along their conversation just as nicely. Haru knew Chrome and knew that she never really talked to people she didn't know unless they were friends. But with someone as rude as Gokudera-san?

Disbelief showed on her face and Haru took a step to the side and turned to lean against the wall so she wouldn't be seen. She was growing confused. _When did they...?_ Shaking her head, she peeked into the cafeteria again.

She was spotted by none other than Hayato himself. They made eye contact and Haru tried her best to glare at him. His response was rolling his eyes before turning back to Takeshi with an irritated look.

"Eh? HARU!" Said boy's loud voice boomed throughout the room. He waved her down. "Come sit with us!" He grinned at her. Haru cleared her voice before slowly walking towards her friends table. Takeshi immediately wrapped an arm around her, causing Haru's heart pace to speed up.

Her face turned pink, catching the attention of Chrome and Hayato. One smiled warmly as the other continued to look on. "Haru, meet Goku-chan! Goku-chan, Haru!" The arm he had around Haru's shoulder tightened. "She's our best friend and leader!" He declared with pride. Hayato snorted whilst Chrome clapped.

"Haru-chan, welcome. I want you to meet a dear friend of mine." Chrome eagerly grabbed Haru's hand and showed her to the boy sitting across from her. Haru looked and saw that he shared quite a resemblance to Chrome herself. Same hair color, hair style, and mismatched eyes. "This is Mukuro-sama." Introduced Chrome. "Mukuro-sama, my best friend, Haru."

"Pleasure." Mukuro spoke with a smile. Haru felt chills travel down her spine and she gave him a wary look. Mukuro hid a laugh behind his hand at this, as if keeping a secret. Haru did nothing but give a nod to him. Chrome had the brunette sit in between herself and Takeshi before talking to Mukuro with mirth Haru had never seen her express before.

"You don't look like you go here." She interrupted. And it was true, Mukuro was wearing some kind of army cosplay outfit. He smiled.

"I don't. You can say I'm skipping of sorts." He answered. Haru wasn't sure what to make of that answer but laughed nervously anyways.

 _He's a delinquent._ She tells herself, absolutely sure of it. _That has to be it._

Takeshi nudged Haru playfully. "Hey, Haru. Goku-chan here says he knows you. Is that true?" He questions innocently and wears a confused look. Haru felt all her blood rush to her face at the revelation. The dark haired girl just knew her face was as red as a tomato and she instantly wished she could disappear.

Sharing a look with Hayato, that wish only intensified. He was giving her such a smug look. This made her grow irritated. Coughing slightly and shooting him a quick glare, Haru gave Takeshi a strained smile. "You can...say that." She replied hesitantly.

Hayato snickered. "Yeah, she was a big baby. Crying her eyes out she did." He said with sarcasm and fairly loudly. Mukuro, along with others who could hear, smiled and laughed a little. Haru gaped at him with blinking eyes.

 _Wh-What!?_ She thought, her fists tightening. Her irritation turned into anger and she missed the way Takeshi and Chrome frowned a bit. They knew Haru well. It takes a boy, a lot of stress, or something really big to happen for her to cry.

Before any of them could ask why, Haru continued. "That is why Haru is so glad to have met Gokudera-san. He was such a charming fellow, winning her the biggest, pinkest, fluffiest bear at the arcade. All so he could make Haru smile." She grins at how fast Hayato's face was paling. "He was so adorable holding it for Haru that entire day." She lied.

 _You dirty bitch!_ Hayato flushed as he heard Mukuro snicker. That had caused his blood to boil and he grit his teeth together harshly. Chrome looked between the two, a bit confused and somehow amused. A smile peeked on her lips at Haru's change of personality.

"Wow, that's unusually nice of you Gokudera." Takeshi stated, impressed. The silver haired boy scowled at the raven haired boy.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He growled. Haru giggled a bit at this which forced green eyes to peer at her. For a moment, a dark glint passed through his eyes and Haru gulped.

"Wh-What is it?" She asked, nerves suddenly spiking.

"Nothing. I'm just remembering how heavy that stuff toy was on my back." He smirks at the look on Haru's face. It screamed offense.

"H-Hahi!?" She shouted. Haru stood up on her feet, Hayato mirroring her actions just moments after. "Y-You take that back right now!" She snarled. The boy shook his head and folded his arms over his chest.

"Why? It's the truth!" He attested. "Nearly broke my back carrying that thing."

"Lovington was not heavy!" Haru fought back. Hayato, along with everyone else, looked at her funny.

"Who the hell is Lovington?"

"How could you forget? It's the name you gave the bear you won Haru." She pressed a finger to Hayato's chest, completely ignoring that they were arguing over Takeshi's head. Takeshi and Mukuro burst out laughing with that tidbit from Haru. Hayato felt the burn in his cheeks and he gave a the girl a nasty look.

Seeing the look, the raven haired boy intervened. "Maa, maa." Takeshi chuckled, trying to calm the two down. "I see you two know each other very well."

"No we don't!" Shouted Haru and Hayato to the taller boy. They went back to glaring at each other. Chrome giggled a bit while Takeshi smiled. Getting up from his seat, he wrapped his arms around Haru's waist from behind and lifted her up from the floor.

She gasped and her hands immediately went to Takeshi's forearms to steady herself. "Y-Yamamoto-san! What are you doing?" She turned her head back only to see his large grin.

"I want to talk to you." He answered, his grin widening. "Let's go somewhere else." With ease, Takeshi grabbed Haru's bentos on the table and gave her a funny look. "Wow, you made two for yourself?" Hayato snickered at this and begins to sit down at his previous spot.

"It's for you, you stupid!" She denied, embarrassed. Laughing, he set Haru down on the floor gently. Huffing, the girl shot Hayato one more glare. _This isn't finished yet._ She promised through her brown eyes.

Sensing the challenge, Hayato narrowed his own. _No, it's not._ Haru was about to stomp out of the cafeteria until she noticed Chrome looking between her and Takeshi. The tall boy was looking at Haru with some kind of fondness that made her heart skip. "Well, aren't you two coming?" Asked Haru, a bit flustered at the gaze of her friend.

Shaking out of his stupor, he grinned at Haru. "Yeah, let's go." He began leaving and Haru shot a confused look to the shy girl.

Chrome shooed her away and gave her a small thumbs up. "Good luck!" She mouthed and waved happily. Haru felt her heart speed up and she looked back at Takeshi with pink cheeks and a soft gaze. Gulping, she follows after him.

Hayato, who watched it all, turned to Chrome. "What's that all about?" He gruffly asked her. Chrome hummed a little bit and looked to him.

"Just giving Haru some courage." She replied in an honest voice. Mukuro saw with interest how Hayato's brows furrowed close to his eyes.

"Courage for what?" His tone, though light, was snappy.

"To confess. Haru has loved Takeshi-kun for a while." She went back to her lunch and happily chatted with Mukuro who paid little mind to her.

He was focused on the way the younger boy sat at the table. Confusion was seen clearly in his green orbs and Mukuro could have snickered out loud with the way Hayato pursed his lips. For a while, he just sat there looking angry before giving a deep sigh. He looked to the older, dark haired boy and glared at him. Mukuro raised his hands in defense before turning his full attention on Chrome who brightened at it. He smiled gently at her. In his peripheral vision, Hayato got up from the table and left the cafeteria.

 _Ho ho ho!_ He thought, greatly amused. Not once has Mukuro ever seen Hayato look so disappointed in his life.

* * *

"Here." Haru grinned as Takeshi opened his mouth for her to put a spoon of food inside. Watching, he hummed and nodded his head while giving a thumbs up.

"You got better Haru!" He cheered happily and leaned back on his hands. "It's so good!" Takeshi had taken Haru up to the rooftop to enjoy the rest of their lunch. Haru was happy to take what she could get and sent a silent thanks to Chrome for giving her this chance.

"You really think so?" She asked shyly, pulling stray hair behind her ear cutely. Haru felt her heart pound loudly in her chest. Takeshi was giving her attention she had yearned for the day at the mall. The atmosphere around them were perfect. It was everything she felt with him. Cheerful, content, warm, and had a sense of comfort.

Takeshi nodded his head. "Definitely. You've always been good at cooking." He stated. Haru gave him a pointed look.

"Haru is not as good as uncle though." She huffed playfully. This made the raven haired boy chuckled.

"He's only good at making sushi. I like your food by far." He took another bite and hummed. "Tastes like home."

A blush covers her face at the confession and Haru looks down to her lap. _H-He likes it that much?_ A warm feeling filled her insides and the brunette coughed into her hand. Clearing her throat, she looked to Takeshi with determined eyes. "Haru, I mean, I have something to say to you." She admitted.

The boy whirled his head around at the change of her speech. He knew Haru had always talked in third person, although he never knew why. She only talked normally if there was something important to say. And this made him worried. Important things were serious. Gulping, his eyes steeled a little in case she said something he didn't like.

Haru saw it and felt her courage falter. _Don't hesitate, don't lose focus._ She encouraged herself and managed a tiny smile. "I-"

"Stupid woman!" A loud voice disrupted with a bang. Stopping herself, Haru looked to the door and glared at the boy present. Hayato stood at the door, his facial expression showing his irritation. He walked over to her no problem, a smirk across his face. "I'm hungry." He informed her, as if he was the only one who mattered. Haru felt an angry heat across her cheeks and she scowled at him.

"Haru doesn't care. You can starve." This didn't deter him the slightest and to prove it, he sat down next to her. "Did you not hear Haru the first time?" She growled dangerously low. She tried to push him away. Not budging and blatantly ignoring her, Hayato looked at Takeshi's bento. Raising a brow, the silver haired boy could tell a lot of care went into making the food. The rice was perfectly done, sushi was clean and neat, the sausage was done in those octopuses, there were cute characters about it. He felt his stomach inwardly growl and tried to hide it under Haru's complaints.

Unfortunately for Hayato, Takeshi heard and he gave him a cheeky look. "Someone _is_ hungry." He teased. Haru stopped to look at Hayato who gave the two a bit of a bashful look.

"Why didn't you eat in the cafeteria?" She asked plainly and folded her arms. She still didn't want to share her bento with him, that much was clear. Shaking his head, Takeshi nudged Haru a bit with his elbow.

"Don't be that way Haru." He spoke lightly. "I'm sure Gokudera would like to try your delicious food." Haru wanted to retort and fight back, but one look at Takeshi's kind gaze made her falter and relent. Sighing, she looked down at her barely touched food. Then she glanced at Hayato who had an expectant gaze. With narrowed eyes, she slowly handed over her food.

"All of it?" Hayato looked at Haru with surprise, only expecting her to share half. At this, she blushed.

"Th-Think of it... As a sincere thank you." She managed to say just above a whisper. "For the toy! Of course..." She added, pinks dusting her cheeks in memory of a certain kiss. Hayato took the bento from her with care. Whatever he was going to say back to her died on his lips as he brought the first bite to his lips. Haru wasn't aware of it herself, but she was waiting for his reaction. Nerves prickled her heart and she sucked in a breath the moment he swallowed.

Hayato said nothing and took another bite. _E-Eh? Does this mean he likes it?_ Patiently, she watched Hayato eat her bento away. She didn't notice how he started talking with Takeshi, but waited in vain for him to say something about her food. She couldn't help but notice that each bite was bigger than the last. A smile graced her lips.

Unfortunately for Haru, Hayato caught her staring. Taking the last bite, he wiped his lips. "What the hell are you staring at? Ugly woman."

" _ **HAHI!?**_ " Shocked, Haru gave him a bewildered look. "What did you just call Haru!?" He snickered at Haru's face which only made her feel more offended. "Haru is not ugly! She's very cute!" She insists.

"Ugly and vain." Hayato shook his head and shoved the bento into her lap. "How conceited can you be?" He smirked at her.

A tick appeared on her forehead. " _Excuse me?_ " At this, she snarled and nearly lunged at him. She was stopped by Takeshi's grip. "You take that back!" She shouted, trying to release herself from her friend's strong arms. Laughing, Hayato stood up just as the bell rang. Dusting off his pants, he began to walk away only to stop and look back at her.

"Your food was okay. I've had better."

" _GOKUDERA-SAN!_ " She screeched and tore away from Takeshi's grasp. The boy nearly toppled over and had to steady himself. Momentarily stunned, Hayato snapped out of his daze and made a mad dash to the door, an angry Haru hot on his heels. Despite having a she-demon run after him, laughter rippled through his lungs.

"Can't keep up? Slow woman!"

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"Haru hates you!" She spat as she entered the classroom seconds after Hayato. He ignored her and walked to his desk on the other side of her own. Not one to be ignored, Haru followed after him. "Hey! Don't you have anything to say to Haru?" She demanded. Settling in his desk, Hayato raised a brow at her.

"Do I have anything to say to you, stupid woman?" He asked in return. A red, hot blush covered her face in anger.

"Y-You..!" She began, her fists tightening at her sides. Hayato leaned back in his seat, throwing his feet over his desk and waited. Haru opened and closed her mouth, trying to fish for something to say. The more she did so, the more amused he grew.

"Can't think of anything?" He spoke in a snarky tone. She gasped.

"F-First of all, Haru is not stupid!" She defended and stomped her foot. "Second of all, stop calling Haru stupid! She's actually really smart!"

 _Riiiight._ He thought to himself while nodding his head. He didn't believe her but in his defense, she did talk in third person. "Sure." His waved her off dismissively. This only angered Haru further.

"It's true!" She continued and brought her face closer to his. She was unaware that his eyes widened just a bit. A picture of her face close to his, painted in pink with a her hair down and hazy eyes entered his line of vision. He shook it away as Haru continued. "I really am smart! I'll show you during class. You'll see!" She promised. Before Hayato could say anything, Haru walked away to her seat and sat there. She looked backed and shot him a glare and humphed before turning back to the front.

A tiny smile fought its way up Hayato's lips as he continued to stare at Haru. She really looked determined to prove him wrong. He shook his head. _Stupid woman._

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She wasn't stupid.

Much to his surprise, Haru was much smarter than he gave her credit for.

School ended and he was putting on his shoes, ignoring the smug look Haru was giving him as she stood near him. She was relentless in class. Every time the teacher asked a question, Haru's hand shot up and like a bullet and she answered flawlessly. Hayato could tell that Haru was also not one to show off her talent. Everyone in class looked at her funny. He snorted at that. The questions weren't that hard (Hayato found them easy enough), it was just...

Haru really wasn't a stupid woman.

She was almost as smart as him. And that was a hard pill to swallow. He didn't want to acknowledge it right away.

"Haru see's that she has made you speechless with her intelligence." She smirked, eyes gleaming with haughtiness. Hayato rolled his eyes and slammed his locker shut. Leaning his shoulder against it, he looked down at her, irritation filling him.

"So you have a brain, everyone does." He said nonchalantly.

"True. But now you can't call Haru stupid anymore." She replied, meeting his stare head on.

"Don't act so high and mighty just because you answered a few questions." He snapped and pushed himself off the locker. Grabbing his backpack, Hayato made way to the front of the school. Haru followed right after him, stubborn as a mule.

"Angry that Haru is much smarter than you gave her credit for?" Hayato didn't answer as her and continued on his way. They were stopped as Mukuro and Chrome popped out from the hallway. The smaller of the pair smiled at the two.

"Hey Haru-chan." She greeted. Haru smiled back and felt an urge to hug her friend. However, one look at Mukuro made her think otherwise. Instead, she scooted closer to Hayato and hid a bit behind him. No one but Mukuro was aware of this and he smiled at her. Chills shot up her spine but Haru had managed a weak smile. "Takeshi-kun was waiting for you." Continued the petite girl.

"Eh?" Gasped the brunette. "Why is he waiting for Haru?"

"Said he wanted to talk to you." Answered Chrome. Her heart skipping, Haru found her feelings growing into a puddle of a mess. Hayato looked down at her and rolled his eyes expressively. He grabbed her wrist and turned to Chrome.

"Tell him that the stupid woman is going with me for a battle." He began to walk away, literally dragging Haru who tried to comprehend what was happening. It wasn't until they were almost at the gate did she try to resist him.

"Let Haru go! She needs to go to Yamamoto-san!" She argued and tried pulling her wrist away. Unfortunately for her, Hayato was far stronger than he let on. His grip was stronger than that of the cashier's during her break. Twisting and pulling, Haru struggled to pull away. "Let Haru GOOOOO!" She screamed in vain.

"Shut up!" Hissed the silver haired boy and brought her close. "I have a better idea than meeting with that baseball idiot."

The girl gave an un-ladylike snort. "Haru begs to differ." Sensing a challenge when he heard one, Hayato rose up to it.

"I challenge you to a set of math problems. Whoever finishes first wins and gets bragging rights over the other."

Haru stopped struggling and looked at Hayato. Really looked at him. A fire burned within her at the so-called battle he declared. Although Haru really wanted to see Takeshi, she couldn't deny that battling Hayato was very enticing right now. She pursed her lips and really considered her options. It wasn't often Takeshi wanted to talk alone with her, with her always leading the way and always having Chrome around. _But bragging rights against this guy?_ Even though she's only known him for two days, squashing him at his own challenged appealed to her very much.

 _It'd be great to have those oh so called bragging rights over him._ A smile played at her lips and Haru felt her ego boost. "Haru accepts your challenge, Gokudera-san." She agreed. This made Hayato chuckled a bit and he led her to the Namimori's public library.

"Don't cry when you lose, stupid woman." He let go of her wrist and shoved his hands into the pockets of his green blazer.

She snarled. "Haru doesn't cry!" Hayato didn't reply back to that. If he remembered her in near tears when he first met her, he didn't say anything about it.

* * *

"50 questions, do as much as much as you can in 30 minutes and at the end, we'll check our answers." Hayato explained as he brought out a book which had in large, red print; _Advanced Calculus_ written over it. Nodding her head, Haru brought out her notebook and her precious rose pink, Hello Kitty lead pencil. She placed her pink and sparkly cell phone before them and set the timer. Hayato took one look at it and rolled his eyes.

"Yes? It there something you want to say to Haru?" She tested, irritated. He shrugged his shoulders as a reply and placed the book between them. Haru's eyes quickly scanned the questions and inwardly gulped.

Those were some complex questions.

Still, not wanting to be out done, Haru confidently grabbed her pencil and waited for Hayato to settle down himself. Sitting next to each other, she began the timer and the two set off.

:::::::

It had been minutes and Haru already felt far behind. She began to struggle just barely past the middle half of the questions and was getting distracted. Throughout the time, she snuck a few glances at the silver haired boy to her right. It bothered her that Hayato looked calm and collected and very much in his element. Like he had no problem at all.

She was beginning to wonder if he challenged her on purpose because he was sure he'd win.

Shaking her head from those kind of thoughts, Haru looked back to the book. _Let's see... Take your time Haru, there's plenty of it._ Taking deep breaths, Haru tapped her pencil on her journal and thought. _If I bring seven down here, then that would be 49. ...no, that's still not right._ Frustrated, she tapped her pencil harder.

 _Tap tap tap tap taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap!_

The slim object suddenly flew out of her hands and hit Hayato on the head near his eye. A gasp escaped Haru as she clasped her hands to her mouth in shock. Unfortunately for her, she also couldn't help but let a snicker loose from her lips. Hearing this, Hayato's left eye twitched and he whirled in his seat, giving her a scary look. Haru looked away, playing coy and innocent.

"Did you hit me because I'm winning?" Accused Hayato in a low voice, his fingers searching, finding, and curling around Haru's lead pencil.

"Haru doesn't know what you mean." Giggling a bit, she held her hand open for her pencil. "May Haru have it back?" She asked, a smile on her face.

Smirking, Hayato placed her pencil in his pocket. "No, Haru may not have it back. Stupid woman," he spoke and closed the book, "you're disqualified for attacking me." As he began to get up from his seat, Haru gaped. She grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute." She protested a little loudly. "It was an accident!" She swore, her eyes widening as Hayato continued to get up from his seat. There was an obvious smirk on his face as he did this. Seeing as he wasn't going to relent, Haru pouted. "Can we at least check our answers?!" She complained, tugging on his sleeve more. "Gokudera-san! Put that book back!"

Hayato pulled his sleeve away. "No way, I already won." He stated confidently.

She gasped. "You don't even know that! Haru thinks she might have won!" She tries, stubbornly.

"You have a better chance at entering a prestige college than winning against me." Was his reply as he placed the book back. Disbelief filled Haru more than anything at the moment. She was baffled at how the boy was able to disregard her so easily and so quickly. The disbelief soon turned into bitter anger.

"HAHI!? Y-You... You!" She began while putting her stuff away angrily. Hayato cocked a brow her way and waited for her to continue. "You, _you Bakadera!_ "

Hayato blinked.

And blinked again.

He was quiet before stepping close to Haru. Who, much to his amusement, stepped back. "What did you just call me?" He asked her lowly, green eyes narrowing and had a dark gleam in them. Words jumbled inside Haru's head.

 _I called you Bakadera! Because you're an idiot! You stupid, over confident, rude, piece of-_

She had much to say to him but nothing left her lips so she settled for glaring instead. Moments of silenced passed the two before Hayato shrugged and swung his bag over his shoulder. "See you at school tomorrow stupid woman." He waved his hand at her. "Perhaps we can do this again tomorrow." Hayato quickly left her, leaving Haru to her feelings and thoughts.

It took her a few moments to realize something.

Haru snatched her phone from the table and tightened her grip over her school bag. She dashed out of the library. "Gokudera-san! Wait! You have Haru's lead pencil!" She cried out.

* * *

"You are a thief." Haru stated, her arms folded in front of her as she stopped Hayato in the front of the school. Next to him was Takeshi, who Haru spared a shy glance to. "Good morning Yamamoto-san." She smiled softly, her heart pounding just a little louder. "How is your morning so far?" She asked. The raven haired boy gave her a bright smile.

"It's great! I'm gonna try out for baseball practice. Wanna watch?" He asked her. Haru's eyes sparkled and before she could answer, Hayato interrupted.

"Idiot, don't you have studying to do?" He growled. Offended, Haru rolled her eyes.

"No, Haru is ahead of class." She replied in a snippy tone. "And you still have her pencil." She brought her palm out before the Hayato so he could give her pencil back. He just looked at her outstretched hand in minor disgust.

"I'm not touching you, if that's what you want." He told her and began walking into the school property. Takeshi and Haru followed after him with the latter hot on his heels.

She scowled. "Haru doesn't want to be touched by you either! She wants her pencil back!" He barely spared her a glance as he got to his locker. This annoyed the girl and she actually stomped her foot and whined. "Gokudera-saaaaan! Please? It's one of my favorites!" She pouted and her lower lip stuck out. As he was putting on his school shoes, Hayato peeked at her face from under his bangs.

She was looking at him with unbelievably huge, shiny brown eyes.

 _B-bmp B-bmp B-bmp_

 _Fuck no._ Heat gathered in his cheeks before looking away. To his displeasure, Haru was still giving him that look of a kicked puppy. Sighing, he slowly takes his bag off and unzips it. He brings a hand to search for the pencil he took yesterday. Once he knows he has it, his hand begins to come back out. "He-"

"Is it the Hello Kitty one?" Takeshi asks out of the blue while peering down at Haru. She jumps, startled and looks at the baseball member with literal hearts in her eyes.

 _Ugh._ Green eyes roll to the back of his head.

"Hahi, that's the one Haru is talking about." She confirms with a nod of her head. Pink dusts along her cheeks and the grip Hayato has around her pencil tightens just a bit. The taller boy suddenly laughs.

"I can't believe you still have that!" He tells Haru and ruffles the top of her head. "That was such an old gift."

"Haru will have you know, she treasures all gifts from you." Her blush deepens at this. "A-And Chrome-chan, of course." She lamely adds to cover up her obvious crush on Takeshi. Said boy just laughs and continues to chat with Haru. Hayato can't help but glare at the two.

 _What the hell is this?_ He thinks with ire. _It's clear as day she likes baseball idiot. So then why did she..._ Shaking his head from such thoughts, he drops the pencil back into his bag and zips it shut. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Hayato tries to ignore the two by walking away. He doesn't get far because Haru calls after him. "What do you want?" He snaps at her, quite viciously so.

The brunette flinches a bit at his tone. "U-Umm...pencil..." Haru stutters and Hayato almost hates himself for it.

Almost.

"I forgot it at home." He lies and turns away from her quickly. Haru frowns and watches him as he walks away with a slouch.

 _What happened to him?_ She thinks with slight concern. Haru turns to Takeshi who also has a worried look. Together, they watch Hayato leave. "D-Did Haru do something to him?" _Was I too annoying?_ She wonders, feeling just a little bit ill inside. She knows she can be a bit overbearing, it's why making friends was hard for her.

"Nah, he's like that sometimes." Takeshi reassures Haru with a smile and pats her shoulder in comfort. The warmth from his touch travels all the way down to her toes and relief washes over her.

"Well, if you say so." She grins at her crush and the two walk into the hallway, chatting about yesterday. They don't see Chrome, who was at the entrance of the school building and witnessed the whole thing. A troubled look crossed her features.

 _This... This may not be good._

* * *

 _(A/N: Whaaaaat!? I'm alive with this story!? G-Guess I'm continuing it. It's a story that's not on my priorities so updates will vary.)_


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